COL George H. Gardes USA- Ret.

Peacefully passed away on December 21, 2014, at his home in McLean, VA, surrounded by his loving family. George was born March 6, 1929 in Washington, DC, son of Brigadier General George Wiltz Washburn Gardes and Loretta Genevieve Fern. A 1951 graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point, he served in the Infantry in Korea, Vietnam, Germany and the United States. Colonel Gardes had many interesting staff and command assignments to include the M 16 Rifle Review Panel, and also a joint Army-Air Force project to test and evaluate the Maverick Missile. After retirement from the Army in 1973, Colonel Gardes applied his Master in Nuclear Engineering from the University of Virginia and Master of Science in Administration from George Washington University by serving at the Atomic Energy Commission and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission from 1974 until his retirement in 1991. Marked by introspection and love of learning, he was an avid reader and a student of History. He was content spending time with his family. He was an enthusiastic sports fisherman, catching, among numerous other fish, citation Striped Bass and King Mackerel. An active parishioner of St. John Catholic Church, in McLean, VA, he served as usher and CCD teacher.

He is survived by his loving wife of 56 years, Patricia Hudock Gardes, daughters Michele Louise Perry (Bryan), Mary Ann Sears (Ron), Catherine Genevieve Miller (Steve), Patricia Jane Roewer (Jim), Elizabeth Kay Heath, son George Christopher, seventeen grandchildren, a great-grandson, and his sister-in-law, Gail Gardes.

A viewing will be held at Murphy's Funeral Home, 1102 W. Broad St., Falls Church, VA on Sunday, Dec. 28 from 4-7 pm. A Memorial Mass will be held at St. John the Beloved, 6420 Linway Terrace, McLean, VA on Monday, Dec. 29 at 11:00 am.

Mass will take place at the Old Post Chapel, Fort Myer, VA, on Wednesday, April 22, 2015 at 8:45 am. Burial, with full military honors, will follow at Arlington National Cemetery.

For those who would like to make a contribution, donations can be made to the Parkinson's Clinical Research Fund, Johns Hopkins University, 600 N. Wolfe St-Phipps 300, Baltimore, MD 21287.